When it's 80 degrees Fahrenheit outside, the temperature inside your car will hit 99 degrees in 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, it reaches 109 degrees. You may not have known the numbers, but the fact that it's a lot hotter in your car than it is outside shouldn't be news to anyone who has ever driven home at the end of a summer work day, or even just a trip to grocery store. So why are people still leaving their dogs in these ovens-on-wheels?

A few days ago, the owner of Harkins Theatres in Scottsdale, Arizona was cited for animal neglect after leaving his Corgi in the car for over an hour. Scottsdale is a hot place to be this time of year — people wrap towels around door handles because they become too hot to touch during the day. Dan Harkins claims his dog wasn't in distress, but if she was left in the car long enough for someone to spot her, call the police, and then for officers to arrive, it was too long. Police said the temperatures were in the triple digits that day; if a car can reach 99 degrees in 10 minutes on an 80 degree day, the math isn't pretty. Unless Mr. Harkins had his air conditioner running (which he didn't), his dog was in danger.

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In the English language it is not uncommon to hear people refer to living beings as if they were objects, to demean someone by comparing them to non-human animals, or to use entirely different words and language to describe the behavior of another species, even if that identical behavior is found in humans as well.

The treatment of non-human animals as if they were objects, devoid of feelings and emotions, is what allows the horrific animal exploitation industries to exist. An aspect of this mindset though, may lay in the common language many of us use when speaking of, or about, non-human animals.

Because many people have difficulty distinguishing the sex of other species, they will use the pronoun "it" when referring to non-human animals. Although the use of "It" may be grammatically correct, the connotations that come with it are far reaching.

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Four months for Md. man who threw Chihuahua off bridge
A man who threw a stranger's 4-pound Chihuahua off a bridge to her death in a fit of anger told the owners Monday that he “was wrong, plain and simple,” before a judge sentenced him to four months in jail.

David M. Beers, 35, an unemployed cell-tower technician and Marine Corps veteran, also must pay a $1,000 fine, perform 300 hours of community service, and pay $318 restitution to Caisha and Timothy Wantz of Jefferson for killing their dog Zoey on June 19, 2009.

Frederick County Circuit Judge G. Edward Dwyer Jr. suspended a three-year prison term and ordered Beers to serve three years of supervised probation after his release.

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How Can I Travel Safely with My Dog?

Dogs can be wonderful traveling companions. But before you hit the road with your furry friend, make sure you know what you need to do to make your dog as safe and comfortable as possible on your journey. These Frequently Asked Questions can help you plan the perfect trip!

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To study canine cancer, scientists, clinicians, and veterinarians from TGen, the Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) and the National Cancer Institute initiated the Canine Hereditary Cancer Consortium (CHCC), a program designed to study naturally occurring cancers in dogs to better understand why both pets and people get sick. The CHCC will take advantage of new genetic resources and technologies to develop genetic screens, diagnostic tests, and treatments for hereditary canine cancers as well as gain insight into the biology of human disease.
We will analyze collected DNA and RNA samples from dogs for genetic patterns that are associated with cancer. These patterns may form the basis of genetic tests that may lead to detecting a gene that contributes an increased risk for developing cancer over a dog's lifetime. Also, these studies may provide important clues about cancer in people.

How can you help?
The CHCC is soliciting the assistance of dog owners to help us collect blood and tumor samples for our research. We are currently focused on five target cancers (hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, lymphoma, malignant histiocytosis and melanoma), but we are banking DNA samples from dogs with all types of malignancy.

Any affected dog is eligible.

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For years, Arthur Frommer, a well-known budget travel writer, has promoted SeaWorld theme parks, particularly the one in Orlando. Not long ago, Frommer even said that, despite the death of Dawn Brancheau--the trainer who was attacked by a captive orca who had been involved in two other deaths--he would still recommend SeaWorld as a tourist attraction. But, recently, after receiving a letter from PETA's Debbie Leahy, an expert on captive animal issues, Frommer acknowleged that he had been heedless of the treatment of captive marine mammals, saying "I am ashamed. I apologize for my former statements and I will no long recommend that tourists patronize the various SeaWold parks."

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Great news: On June 12, the Alexandria City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting people from tethering dogs for more than three hours cumulatively within a twenty-four hour period. Alexandria Vice Mayor Kerry Donley introduced a draft of the ordinance in order to protect dogs from neglectful "owners" who chain their dogs outside all day without food and water.

Hopefully soon, officials in Sarasota, Florida, where I live, will also pass an ordinance protecting dogs from neglect and misery. Today, June 22, the Sarasota County Commissioners will be discussing a similar ordinance to ban the permanent tethering of dogs in Sarasota County. If all goes well, the draft ordinance will be "up for adoption" at a public hearing in the future.

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WHEN it comes to their homes, there are few things New Yorkers prize as much as a little outdoor space — a terrace, perhaps, or a small deck in the backyard.

Steve Payne for The New York Times
Madelaine Ann Hare’s second-floor porch in Toronto encloses three Abyssinians, as does an attached 25-foot walkway.

Their cats feel the same way.

So some cat owners who would never dream of letting their pets roam free outside have come up with a creative compromise: an enclosed space — usually in the form of a screened-in porch or deck — that allows them to share the great outdoors.

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The next time you’re at a baseball game or a barbecue and a friend is reaching for a hot dog, you might want to mention that hot dogs are made from the flesh of pigs who endure prolonged stress prior to slaughter, either because they are underfed or overly fatigued due to transportation and mishandling, or both. These animals, according to a recent article on the meat industry site, MeatingPlace.com, yield what’s known as DFD (dark, firm, and dry) meat, which can be “transformed into high-quality products, especially those made with emulsified meat, such as hot dogs.”

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I do think of my own cat Gus as a modern cat, even though he is 16 years old.

I've long searched for a great scratching post that is both tasteful and functional and appealing to this particular finicky tabby. So I finally have a great blog to share with those of you who also like your feline products with a bit of style.

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